Reporting on environmental indicators - 2018

Lakes and Rivers

Water quality index ratings

Significance

The Water Quality Index, developed by the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, summarizes complex water quality data using a scale from 0 to 100. Scores are categorized as:

Excellent (95-100)

Aquatic life is not threatened or impaired. Measurements never or very rarely exceed water quality guidelines.

Good (80-94)

Aquatic life is protected with only a minor degree of threat or impairment. Measurements rarely exceed water quality guidelines and, usually, by a narrow margin

Fair (65-79)

Aquatic life is protected, but at times may be threatened or impaired. Measurements sometimes exceed water quality guidelines and, possibly, by a wide margin.

Marginal (45-64)

Aquatic life frequently may be threatened or impaired. Measurements often exceed water quality guidelines by a considerable margin.

Poor(0-44)

Aquatic life is threatened, impaired or even lost. Measurements usually exceed water quality guidelines by a considerable margin.

The Water Quality Index provides the public with information about the status of water quality in Canada and identifies emerging trends. It condenses data about the quality of a water body to a number scale corresponding with a straightforward rating.

The Water Quality Index also indicates the suitability of streams to support aquatic life. It measures the frequency and extent to which selected parameters exceed water quality objectives at individual monitoring sites (Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, 2001).

What is happening?

The Government of Yukon, in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada, currently tracks three-year rolling average Water Quality Index scores for seven monitoring stations. The averages provide additional confidence in ratings.

The following table shows the recorded averages for monitoring stations using the Water Quality Index colour scale above.

Samples continued to be taken from sites on the Dezadeash River, Rose Creek, and Yukon River at Marsh Lake Dam; however, recent calculations have not been performed to determine WQI ratings at this time.

Taking action

As guided by the Yukon Water Strategy and Action Plan, additional long-term monitoring networks have been added to the existing list of stations. This includes the Porcupine River at Old Crow, Haggart Creek north of Mayo, and the Eagle and Ogilvie rivers along the Dempster highway.
Learn more about implementation of the Yukon Water Strategy and Action Plan.

Daglish Creek.

Data quality

The Water Quality Index measures the frequency and amplitude to which selected parameters exceed water quality objectives.

References

Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment. 2001. Canadian water quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic life: CCME Water Quality Index 1.0, Technical Report. In: Canadian Environmental Quality Guidelines. 1999, updated 2002. Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.